1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns, in a general manner, micro-hybrid systems for vehicles, in particular motor vehicles.
More particularly, the present invention concerns a micro-hybrid system, comprising a rotary electrical machine mechanically coupled to the thermal engine of the vehicle, an AC-to-DC converter, a DC-to-DC converter, electrical energy storage devices to store electrical energy produced by the rotary electrical machine and a control unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
In micro-hybrid devices of the above type known in the art, the rotary electrical machine is generally an alternator-starter which, apart from performing the functions of thermal engine starter and alternator, may also be called on for a function of regenerative braking and a function of torque assist (also referred to as “boost” in English).
The electrical energy recuperated by the regenerative braking can be stored in ultra-high capacity capacitors known as “UCAPs” or “supercapacitors” by the person skilled in the art and used to power an on-board network under fluctuating DC voltage. This on-board network under fluctuating DC voltage is separate from the classic 12V network fitted to motor vehicles and supplements it by taking particular responsibility for the electrical supply to consumer devices capable of accepting a fluctuating voltage of over 12V.
In these micro-hybrid devices of prior art, the control unit operates in slave mode and is driven by an electronic control unit of the vehicle according to the vehicle's own control laws and governed by said vehicle.